


coming out party (of the pity variety)

by cinnamontoastcronch



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Awesome May Parker (Spider-Man), Ben Parker Dies, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt Peter, Hurt Peter Parker, Mentioned Ben Parker, Not Spider-Man: Homecoming Compliant, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is a Mess, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, Protective May Parker (Spider-Man), Sad Ending, Spider-Man: Homecoming Spoilers, Supportive May Parker (Spider-Man), Whump, With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility, Worried May Parker (Spider-Man)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-30 19:37:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20102539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinnamontoastcronch/pseuds/cinnamontoastcronch
Summary: Spider-Man: Homecoming AUPeter runs home to May.





	coming out party (of the pity variety)

Peter practices his speech the whole way home. Trudging down the streets of New York, legs aching, arms wrapped protectively around himself, feeling small. No speech feels right, though. It's just two words: “_I'm Spider-Man_”. But it will change his entire life in an instant.

But May deserves to know, doesn't she? After everything, she deserves to know that Peter wasn't just being a little twerp for the hell of it. (And really, how much longer could he have kept that secret?)

In the end, he doesn't say anything at all, because he lost track of time (being buried under a fucking building, and all) and May's still up, worried sick about homecoming, and why it's 3AM and he's still not home yet.

May prepares herself for a lot of things, but what she gets is not one of them: her nephew, standing awkwardly in the doorway to the living room, blood and dirt caking his old pajamas. No, his _Spider-Man suit._

Peter opens his mouth a few times, trying to get his voice unstuck. But he's afraid he might cry if he tries anything, so he just looks at his aunt with pleading, pitiful eyes. 

May takes a step toward him. She puts a hand over her mouth, and an arm around her stomach. 

Peter breathes, quicker and quicker, trying to keep the tears at bay. He clenches his fists weakly, wanting to square his shoulders and be strong. But he’s never felt smaller. 

“Oh… _look at you_.” She brushes the back of her hand down his cheek, her voice getting softer and sadder. “Honey, you're shaking…”

Peter swallows nervously, but leans into May's touch, as she gently combs through his hair. He thought he'd have trouble looking her in the eye, but it's all he can seem to do. They're wide and wet and one second from letting loose the tears carefully sitting at the brim. 

“Let's get you cleaned up…” May says, leading Peter to the bathroom.

Peter feels like he's walking in a dream. He legs ache terribly and he can't seem to uncross his arms from their current position, but he lets himself be pushed along and sat down like a little kid with a scraped knee.

May wets a washcloth in warm water (the same squeak and sound of caps opening that Peter’s heard a thousand times), and sets herself to cleaning the caked blood off her nephews still soft, round face. She tries to pretend her hands aren't shaking as much as he is.

Peter speaks for the first time since coming in, and his voice is croaky and exhausted, and not at all possessing the strength he needs. “May, I-I can clean it, it's oka--”

“_Peter._” May says firmly. “Just… _let me_, alright?”

Peter takes a few steadying breaths, then nods. 

He stares at the floor, tears falling quickly and silently. His face barely twitches. His eyes are swollen and stinging. His whole body aches.

May tries to look him in the eye, ducking her head, and attempting to tilt up his chin.

Peter eventually just drops his chin to his chest and whispers brokenly: “Please don't look at me.”

Peter wraps his arms further around himself, wanting to hide from the world. From _May_. He's never wanted to hide from May before.

“Peter...” May says softly.

Peter shakes his head, trying to keep the sobs from bubbling up and over. “I'm sorry. May, I'm so sorry, just-- just _please don't look at me_.” He gasps through a cry, then clamps his mouth shut again.

“Peter.” May says again, tilting his chin up to meet her eyes. He's wrecked. His eyes are bloodshot. His lip is wobbling, his skin is deathly pale. The learned mother in May wants to scoop him up like a baby and never let go. But that won't fix him right now. So she takes his face in her hands, gently wiping one of his tears, and says: “Look at me.”

Peter does. His cheeks squish up his little face in her hands. His hair curls around the back of his head in little tufts. Still a baby. Still a toddler dropped off for a weekend, never going back home. Still just a boy who’s lost every father he's ever had.

“Nothing you could do could ever make me love you any less. _Nothing._”

That breaks Peter. His face crumples like a child's (a child that he still _is_, May's kid is running around in tights pulling guns out of peoples hands _what the fuck_\--) and he starts to cry openly. 

She's tsks, moving the washcloth to his hair. “Dust in your hair… sweetie, what happened?”

Peter opens his mouth, hoping that something, anything useful will come out. But concrete and sand fall off his hair and past his eyes and suddenly all he can think of is being buried and tossed around like a ragdoll, and he _cries_. Deep, shuddering, all consuming sobs that rack his tiny frame. He attempts to cover his face with one hand, keeping the other wrapped firmly around his stomach.

The washcloth is abandoned with a sad plop on the tile, as May gathers Peter in her arms. “Shh… sh, sh… _honey_….” 

“_I'm sorry…_“ He whimpers. “_I'm so sorry, it's all my fault…_" 

“Hushhh…” May soothes, rubbing his back. “You're gonna make yourself sick, baby.” 

“No, _no, you don't understand!_” Peter gasps. “_Uncle Ben_... it's _my_ fault…” 

May takes his shoulder firmly. “Peter Parker, you look at me, right now. What happened to Ben is _not on you_.” 

“B-but I--” Peter takes half a steadying breath. “I had my powers… I sh-should've _done something_…” 

“_Peter._” May sighs, smiling sadly. She brushes Peter’s curls away from his face. “You need to stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.” 

Peter sniffs and hiccups like a little kid, watching his tears drip onto the tile below. He nods. “I’m sorry.” 

“Shh…” May brushes her knuckles across Peter’s cheek. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” 

Peter nods and nods, trying so hard to convince himself 

May brushes the dust off of his hoodie. “That's what all this is about?” She asks. “_Guilt?_” 

“_No._” Peter insists. “It's… responsibility.” 

May holds Peter's face in her hands. She presses her lips together, and squinches her eyes up, like she's about to burst. She shakes her head, then leans forward to kiss Peter's forehead. Against his hairline, she whispers: "_My boy_…" 

Peter just basks in the affection for a moment. 

“Please don't be mad at Mr. Stark.” He says suddenly. “I mean, I-- I know you're mad--" 

"Baby, I'm not mad at you--" 

"--but just don't take it out on him, please? He made the suit to protect me…" 

May sighs deeply, then smiles slightly. “Okay. I won't unleash the mama bear just yet." 

Peter hangs his head dramatically. “Oh, god, no ‘mama bear’, _please._” 

May laughs, and hugs her exhausted nephew. 

“Promise me, though?” 

May pulls another crumbling bit of rubble out of Peter’s hair. “Okay. I promise.” 

Two years later, when the sky breaks open and EBS systems scream in tune to the terrified people; Iron Man returns to earth, shaken to his core, and no protégé in tow. 

That's when May Parker breaks her promise. 

**Author's Note:**

> the title's wack, I know lol
> 
> idk, this was in my drafts for a while, and I thought why not snack the ol' post button?
> 
> I have a fee projects going rn: a couple requests, some endgame AUs, and a few almost chapters of leave our troubles in the sand, but for now, enjoy this! 😊
> 
> thank u for reading!!!
> 
> ~cereal


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